Display container



Feb 1934- N. F. MANSFIELD ET AL 1,949,376

DI SPLAY CONTAINER Filed Nov. 30, 1932 3 Sheets-5&3 1

Feb. 27, 1934. N- MANsFlELD ET AL 1,949,376

DI SPLAY CONTAINER Filed Nov. 50, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1934- N. F, MANSFIELD ET AL. 1,949,376

DI SPLAY CONTAINER 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 30, 1952 OFFICE DISPLAY CONTAINER Norman F. Mansfield, Hasbrouck Heights, N. J., and George S. Gottesman, New York, N. Y., as-

signors to The Ohio Match Company, Wadsworth, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 30, 1932 Serial No. 645,092

6 Claims.

In merchandising small articles, particularly articles which are contained in small boxes or packages, it has become the custom to pack the boxed articles in shipping containers which may -be-used by dealers for the purpose of displaying the goods without removing them from such shipping containers, the containers thus becoming, in addition to shipping packages, display containers.

An object of the present invention is to provide a display container of this general character which is so constructed and proportioned, and has such characteristics in the design and arrangement of its parts that it provides a very attractive package for what is customarily termed counter display and, due to its proportions, will not occupy any appreciable amount of counter or shelf space. Moreover, the display container of the invention is of such design as to present a plurality of surfaces upon which may be displayed appropriate advertising matter, one of the elements of the container providing such a surface being foldable from display position to a position in which it assumes a compact arrangement with respect to the container, thus providing for a decrease in the overall dimensions of the container when in shipping condition as compared with display condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a display container having the characteristics referred to, a goods-supporting member which forms, in effect, a false front for the container and makes possible the display of a relatively limited quantity or" mticles in the most effective arrangement with respect to the front of the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a display container of such design and having such characteristics that it may be made in knockdown form from sheet material such as cardboard, and preferably, particularly as regards the container proper, of unitary cut and folded blank construction, and having its parts so arranged and interconnected as to provide a durable and relatively rigid device. Thus, when the boxed or otherwise packaged goods or articles are appropriately packed in the display container, they may be shipped therein withoutdanger of breakage, injury or defacement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a display container in which an inclined open front is provided, whereby a relatively large number of the articles to be displayed by and sold from the container may be presented to the view of prospective purchasers.

Having the above and other objects in view, the invention comprises a display container having a casing member preferably formed of a sin gle blank so cut and folded as to provide a casing having sides, a bottom, atop, a back and an open front, a goods-supporting member-preferably taking the form of a separate element, also of cut and folded blank form assembled'within the casing and having members cooperatingwith parts of the casing for maintaining the goodssupporting member in predetermined-position with respect to the open front, anda member or flap adapted for the display of advertising matter carried by the casing, and preferably forming a part thereof, and foldable from a position of display to a position in compact arrangement against the casing, the casing provided with means for holding this member in display position, when desired; and the invention consists, further, in various details of construction of the casing and of the goods-supporting member, and in the arrangement of their parts, all as will be described .more fully hereinafter and finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustratingthe' invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated,- Figure 1 is a front perspective view of the display container of the invention showing its parts in normal positionfor display purposes, and showing also a number of boxed tooth brushes arranged upon the goodssupporting member within the container. Fig.2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the display container with its parts arranged as-illus-" trated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view 0 of the display container with its parts arranged as shown in Fig. 1, and showing, in broken lines; the advertising display member or flap folded down against the back of the container; Fig. 4 s is a rear perspective view of the assembled goods-- 5 supporting member. Fig. 5 is a rear perspective View of the display container with its back flap infolded from its normal position and showing the two interengaging flaps which extend across' the back from the sides. view of the blank of the casing member. Fig. "I is an expanded view of the blank of the goods supporting member proper; and Fig. 8 is an expanded view of the shelf which is normally carried by the goods-supporting member.

Referring particularly to Figs. 6; 7 and 8,- it will be seen that the casing member comprises a blank so cut and so scored (as indicated by dot and dash lines) as to provide sides 1 and 2, a

bottom 3 and a top 4. The sides 1 and 2 are 110 preferably of substantially right triangular shape and have joined to their rear edges, indicated by the scoring 5 and 6, back flaps 7 and 8, respectively, provided with interengaging or interlock ing members 9 and 10, and their front slanting 115 edges 11 and 12 are provided with tabs 13 and 14, respectively, adapted to substantially span the open front of the container when it is setup, as will be explained.

The bottom 3 is Joined at one side edge with 20* Fig. 6 is an expanded the side 1, and is adapted to be folded with respect thereto upon the scoring 15, and it is formed on its other side edge with a pasting tab 16 which may be suitably gummed as indicated at 17, or not, as desired. This pasting tab is adapted to be folded upon the scoring 18 and joined to the bottom inside edge of the side 2, as will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2. From the back edge of the bottom, indicated by the scoring 19, extends a flap 20 having a tuck-in portion or tongue 21 foldable upon the scoring 22, and to this flap 20 is pivotally attached, by means of an appropriate staple or other fastening 23, a strut 24, the purpose of which will be explained later. At the front edge of the bottom 3, indicated by the scoring 25, is an infoldable extension 26 capable of being folded along the three scorings 25, 2'7 and 28 for the purpose of embracing the tabs 13and 14, as will be explained,

'and the bottom 3 is formed with a notched tongue 29 providing a means for engagement with the free edge portion of the foldable extension 26 when the latter is infolded around the tabs 13 and 14.

The top 4 is provided with a flap 30 for which the scoring 31 at the back edge of the top forms a hinge.

All of the exposed surfaces of the casing member, particularly the flap 30, top 4, sides 1 and 2,

flap 20 and extension 26 may be printed or otherwise provided with advertising or other matter to be displayed.

The goods-supporting member, Figs. 7 and 8, comprises a face portion 32, side supports 33 and 34 foldable substantially normal to the face portion upon the scorings 3-5 and 36 respectively, a shelf-forming portion 37 having an extension 38 adapted to be appropriately folded upon the scorings 39 and 40, as will be explained, and a topengaging element 41 foldable upon the scoring 42. The side supports 33 and 34 are scored at 43 and 44, respectively, to provide feet 45 and 46.

The shelf, Fig. 8, comprises a strip 47 of substantially the same width as the shelf-forming portion 37 of the goods-supporting member 32 and is scored at 48 and 49, adjacent to its ends to provide hangers 50 and 51 formed at their rear edges with lugs 52 and 53 adapted to pass through appropriately formed complemental slots 54 and 55, respectively, in the face portion 32 of the goods-supporting member and to interlock therewith to suspend the shelf in appropriate position transversely and substantially ceitrally of the face portion 32. At the rear edge of the shelf is a locking member 56 provided with end tabs 57 and 58 foldable upon the scoring 59 and 60. This locking member is adapted to be passed through a slot 61 in the face portion 32 of the goods-supporting member, and when its end tabs 57 and 58 are folded upon the lines 59 and 60 the shelf will be held firmly against the face portion while suspended with respect thereto by means of the hangers 50 and 51.

It will be obvious, due to the formation of the blanks from which the casing member, goodssupporting member and shelf are formed that these parts may be stacked fiat for purposes of storage and shipment. If desired, however, the casing member may be folded to what may be called tube-form and its pasting tab appropriately attached to the inner face of the side 2, as explained, and then the casing member may be doubled flat upon the scorings 18 and 62 or 15 and 63 and thus stacked in quantities for storage or shipping purposes.

To assemble the display container, assuming that the pasting tab 16 has already been attached to the side 2, it is simply necessary to open up the casing member to rectangular or tube form by producing bends along the scorings 15, 62, 63 and 18, then folding the back flaps '7 and 8 upon the scorings 5 and 6 and interengaging their locking elements 9 and 19, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 5, then bending the back flap 20 upwardly upon the scoring 19 so that it lies against the interlocked flaps '7 and 8, and bending down its tuck-in tongue 21 along the scoring 22 and inserting this tongue between the top 4 and the upper cooperating edges of the flaps 7 and 8. Then the front spanning tabs 13 and 14 are bent toward each other upon the scorings 64 and 65 and the in-foldable extension 26 of the bottom 3 is folded around these tabs 13 and 14 by bending it upon the scorings 25, 27 and 28, and its free edge inserted beneath the member 29, as shown particularly in Fig. 2.

After the casing of the display container is thus set up, the goods-supporting member is folded as illustrated in Fig. 4 and its shelf attached to it, also as indicated in Fig. 4, and then the goods-supporting member is assembled within the casing as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be apparent, particularly from an inspection of Fig. 2, that the part 33 of the shelfforming portion 37 of the goods-supporting member, when folded as shown, is so proportioned, and so cooperates with adjacent parts of the infolded portion 26 as to support the shelf-forming portion 37 substantially normal to the face portion 32 of the goods-supporting member and, moreover, that the top-engaging element 41 provides for additional frictional engagement with the tuck-in tongue 21 of the back flap 20. It will be apparent also, due to the manner in which the shelf is connected with and carried by the goods-supporting member, that this shelf is also arranged substantially normal to the face portion 32 of the goods-supporting member. Hence, symmetrical articles such as the tooth brushes packed in rectangular boxes, as shown in Fig. 1, will stack evenly upon the shelf-forming portion 37 and the shelf 47.

The display container illustrated is designed particularly for packaging and displaying one dozen boxed tooth brushes, and each of the supporting members, the shelf-forming portion 37 and the shelf 47 will support six of the boxed tooth brushes in two layers of three each, thus presenting to view six boxed tooth brushes. By separating the dozen brushes by supporting each group of six boxes separately, sliding of an undesired number of the boxed brushes, should one of a bottom row be removed, is prevented. Moreover, particularly in the case of tooth brushes, brushes having bristles of different hardness may be arranged above and below the shelf 47.

The space in the container to the rear of the goods-supporting member may, if desired, be used to contain a reserve stock of the articles to be displayed and sold.

The front spanning member provided adjacent to the bottom of the open front of the display container by the tabs 13 and 14 and the infolded member 26 not only stiffens and strengthens the container at this point, and provides a very good location for the display of advertising matter or the like, but prevents shifting of the goods-supporting member relatively to the bottom of the casing member and forms a lip, apparent particularly in Fig. 2, which keeps the boxed articles, such as the tooth brushes illustrated, from slipping out of the container.

When the container is set upon a counter for display purposes, the flap 3O bearing advertising matter may be turned up upon its hinge 31 to the position illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and the strut 24 rotated upon its pivot member 23 into position, as shown, for supporting the flap in this display position. Obviously, if the strut 24 is rotated without first turning up the flap 36, such rotation will produce a camming action and will raise and support the flap. Of course, when desired or necessary, as will later appear, the flap 30 may be folded to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, flat against the back of the container, the strut 24 having previously been rotated to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 6.

For purposes of shipping the container when filled with goods, the flap 30 is folded down against the back of the container as last described, and the whole container, with the goods therein, is placed within an appropriately shaped envelope or wrapper, not shown, which fits it snugly and prevents the articles of merchandise from becoming disarranged. Due to the shape of the container, it will be seen that a plurality of these containers, when filled with goods, and preferably wrapped as described, may be nested by arranging them in pairs with their slanting front surfaces in contact and reversed top and bottom, and that thus they will occupy very much less packing space than would be necessary to accommodate two containers of symmetrical straight-sided rectangular form.

Another feature of the invention which is advantageous is that, although the goods are well displayed by the relatively large open front through which they are exposed, the bottom of the container is relatively small and occupies very little counter or shelf space.

Moreover, due to its knockdown form and the material of which it may be made, the container may be constructed at relatively low cost and may be shipped and stored compactly. Nevertheless, its structural features make it, when set up and properly assembled, relatively compact, rigid and durable.

Various changes and modifications are considered to be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

What we claim is:

1. A display container, comprising a casing having sides, a bottom, a top, a back and an open front, means providing a front-spanning member adjacent to said bottom, and a goods-supporting member assembled within said casing and comprising as integral parts thereof means in engagement with said top and back, and means engaging said front-spanning member, said goodssupporting member thus retained in predetermined position within said casing.

2. A display container, comprising a casing having sides, a bottom, a top, a back and an open front, means providing a front-spanning member adjacent to said bottom, and a goods-supporting member assembled within said casing and comprising as integral parts thereof means in engagement with said top and back, and means engaging said front-spanning member, said goodssupporting member thus retained in predetermined position within said casing, the means engaging said front-spanning member including a shelf-forming portion and an extension for supporting said shelf-forming portion in proper display position.

3. A display container, comprising a casing having sides, a bottom, a top, a back and an open front, means providing a front-spanning member adjacent to said bottom, and a goods-supporting member assembled within said casing and comprising as integral parts thereof means in engagement with said top and back, and means engaging said front-spanning member, said goodssupporting member thus retained in predetermined position within said casing, the means engaging said front-spanning member including a shelf-forming portion for supporting goods in display position, and a shelf including hangers at its ends, said shelf and its hangers connected with and carried by said goods-supporting member and spaced from said shelf-forming portion to support goods in spaced relation to the goods supported by said shelf-forming portion.

4. In a display container, a casing having sides, a top, a bottom, a back and an open front, and a goods-supporting member assembled within said casing and comprising a folded blank including a face portion arranged adjacent to said open front, side flaps arranged substantially normal to said face portion and adapted for engagement with the sides and back of the casing, a shelf-forming portion and a top flap arranged at the bottom and top of said face portion and engageable with the bottom and top of said casing, respectively, said side flaps, shelf-forming portion and top flap serving by virtue of their engagement with said casing to position said goodssupporting member in predetermined relation to the open front of said casing.

5. A display container, comprising a casing member including sides, a bottom, an open front and a top, said sides provided at their rear edges with flaps adapted to be folded and interconnected across the back of the container, and said bottom provided with a back flap foldable over the interconnected flaps of said sides and having a tuck-in tongue for insertion beneath said top, tabs carried by said sides at their front edges adjacent to said bottom and foldable across the front of the container, and an extension on said bottom foldable over said tabs to provide in combination with said tabs a front-spanning member adjacent to the bottom.

6. A display container, comprising a casing member including sides, a bottom, an open front and a top, said sides provided at their rear edges with flaps adapted to be folded and inter-connected across the back of the container, and said bottom provided with a back flap foldable over the interconnected flaps of said sides and having a tuck-in tongue for insertion beneath said top, tabs carried by said sides at their front edges adjacent to saidbottom and foldable across the front of the container, an extension on said bottom foldable over said tabs to provide in combination with said tabs a front-spanning member adjacent to the bottom, and a goods-supporting member assembled within said casing member and provided with positioning means for maintaining it in predetermined relation to the front of the container, said means including members engageable with said top, bottom and interconnected flaps and with said front-spanning member, the member engageable with said top serving to frictionally engage said tuck-in tongue to maintain said back flap in adjusted position.

NORMAN F. MANSFIELD. GEORGE S. GO'I'TESMAN. 

